The Silent Ending
by mantax56
Summary: Zachary finds himself in a seemingly new world, changed by ac catastrophe that left millions dead, and millions more, something else entirely...
1. Chapter 1

Here We Go...

"Zachary, wake up."

My eyes open.

"We have to move, there was a horde spoted by the 7-11 down the street."

I slowly sit up. My ahoulder aches, still. you'd think a dislocated joint would feel better after three weeks of walking and climbing with minimal rest and food. Haha, Sarcasm, didn't know I could still use that. i push myself to my feet. Ellie sits on a crate across the room gazing through her sniper scope. She doesn't have much common sense but damn that girl can shoot. On day 6 she was poppin skulls from 400 yards out while we were extracting Dale and his brothers from their wrecked apartment building. Two weeks later and two less brothers Dale stands quietly next to the door squinting to read his book in the dim morning light. He carries that book everywhere. He must have read it at least seven times since we found him. Someone taps me on the shoulder, I turn and Saul hands me my backpack.

"We gotta go" he says as he hefts his rifle.

"you can eat while we walk". He whistles to Ellie, she shoulders, her rifle picks up her shotgun and takes point. I sigh and trudge out the door behind Saul locking a new clip into my dad's old M-4 that he used back in Iraq. I smile at the notches on the stock. "One fer every terrorist I done shot." He said. He kept it it in the cabinet next to his desk, cleaning it every day, keeping it ready for "that one day son, you know its gonna happen. That one day when all hell breaks loose." That one day came March 3, 2023. But his trusty old gun never saw action, at least, not in his hands. my thoughts return to the present as Ellie signals for us to stop. Saul peers out of the door.

"Clear." We all breathe a sigh of relief as we step out into the wreckage. We look around the red tinted city the rising sun dyes everything the color of blood, the same color I had seen too much of in the past weeks. Saul pulls out his walky talky.

"Justin, Amelia you there?" silence blares from the speaker.

"Justin, Amelia wake up dammit." More static. Saul tries a coupe more times. If Saul wasn't acting so calmly about this Dale would've flipped shit the first time they hadn't answered. Saul without a doubt has the highest chance of surviving amongst us, he's confident, resourceful, and , I'm nervous to say, heartless. I have no doubt he would drop any of us that tried to cross him. But I really do think he's a good guy, deep deep deep down, I think, probably, not. But thats probably because he seems to be just a tiny bit nicer to me than he is to everyone else, but not too much, which is fine with me. I've been dealed the pity card my whole life, and now that everything is a matter of life and death I expected to be the VIP at my very own pity party. Nope, I'm actually kind of gald I found people who don't give a shit if I can't talk.

next Chapter sooooooooooooona!

comment all u want!


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"Justin, Amelia come in."

Saul looks bored, but he won't move until he gets his report from Justin and Amelia. They scout the area around us looking for hordes, they're one of the main reasons we're still alive.

"what if they..." Dale starts but Saul cuts him short with an evil glare.

"They're fine." He growls. As if on cue a burst of static comes out of the walky- talky, Saul raises it to his mouth still glaring at Dale.

"Hey Saul we're at the museum, 2nd floor. " Saul nods, the museum isn't far from our current location. "Hordes?"

"the one by the 7/11 has moved north, by the baseball field, and there's a group of about 37 on highway 12." Saul frowns.

"Alright. we'll meet up with you." He places the walky-talky in his back pocket and starts walking south.

"But Saul the museum is..." Ellie starts but she too is cut short by Saul's glare.

"I know how to get to the museum Ellie," he turns and continues walking, "we're stopping at the sporting goods store, I'm running low on ammo."

I mentally frown, Saul would never be THAT stupid. Going into an area Justin and Amelia hadn't scouted out wasn't like him. But Dale and Ellie didn't seem to notice, or they are also mentally frowning...whatever. Saul is still walking up ahead so I jog to catch up. I reach his side and pull out some beef jerky from my backpack. I tap his shoulder and offer him a piece, he shakes his head. Whilst chomping a couple feet behind him I notice him fingering a small rock or charm of some sort in his right hand. I look closer and see that its a small green stone heart. I file this info away for further inspection as we crest a piece of rubble. We all gather on a lopsided piece of skyscraper to gaze upon the massive gash in the earth known to survivors as the valley of plague. A huge geological scar left behind be a catastrophic battle during the 2nd Civil War. Just as rebel forces had almost taken the city after a bloody massacre of soldiers and civilians alike rebel planes flew overhead dropping massive amounts of experimental biological ordnance on the combatants. The rebel forces were decimated, but so was the city. The next day the army sent aid in the form of food and medicine, in an attempt to counteract the toxin from the rebel bombs. But the medicine was never used, the supplies mysteriously disappeared the day after arrival, the day they were supposed to be administered. A week after the battle the toxin's unexpected effect took hold.

"Get down!" Saul hisses. We all hit the dirt and he motions to a small moving speck at the bottom of the miniature canyon. Saul pulls out a pair of binoculars. and Ellie readies her rifle.

"We got one first stage creature, exhibiting actions that suggest he's been on his own for a while, and he looks pretty damn hungry." Ellie smirks as she gazes down her scope.

"Zombies always do."


End file.
